A talking Jesus doll has been turned down by the Marine Reserves' Toys for Tots program.

A suburban Los Angeles company offered to donate 4,000 of the foot-tall dolls, which quote Bible verses, for distribution to needy children this holiday season.
The battery-powered Jesus is one of several dolls manufactured by
one2believe, a division of the Valencia- based Beverly Hills Teddy Bear
Co., based on Biblical figures.

But the charity balked because of the dolls' religious nature.

Toys are donated to kids based on financial need and "we don't know
anything about their background, their religious affiliations," said
Bill Grein, vice president of Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, in Quantico, Va.

As a government entity, Marines "don't profess one religion over
another," Grein said Tuesday. "We can't take a chance on sending a
talking Jesus doll to a Jewish family or a Muslim family."

Michael La Roe, director of business development for both companies,
said the charity's decision left him "surprised and disappointed."

"The idea was for them to be three-dimensional teaching tools for
kids," La Roe said. "I believe as a churchgoing person, anyone can
benefit from hearing the words of the Bible."

According to the company's Web site, the button-activated, bearded
Jesus, dressed in hand-sewn cloth outfits and sandals, recites
Scripture such as "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" and "Love your neighbor as yourself." It has a $20 retail value.